Pragmatism: A New Name for Some Old Ways of Thinking

Expressing one of pragmatism’s key principles, James says that truth is “what works” (115). Does this make pragmatism primarily a system for explaining why things are true, or for finding out what is true? Can it do both? Why or why not?

Where does James see himself within the “tender-minded”/“tough-minded” divide? How does this relate to his advocacy of pragmatism?

James argues that human temperament influences the philosophical positions we take. If this is the case, then how does pragmatist theory explain how we can arrive at truth instead of merely our emotional preferences?